CYFAR Conference 2007
Chicago, IL

CYFAR 2007 Showcase Proceedings


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Mississippi: Providing Unique Professional Early Care & Education Programs


Louise E. Davis, Cathy Grace, Delfina Wilson and Tonya Adkins, Mississippi State University

This showcase will discuss how Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral Network is using technical assistance, distance training, and unique partnerships throughout the state to support high quality child care.

Changing History with the National Map Corps


Lee Sherry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension
Norman Small, USGS National Map Corps Volunteer

This showcase will provide information about how youth and adult volunteers can become involved in making history by helping update the National Map for the United States Department of Interior U.S. Geological Survey. Information will include how to volunteer and participate in this national service-learning project. Learn how to use and practice with Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to collect required information.

Destination Technology


Heather Goodwin, Mississippi State University

Project SOAR will share program successes through using technology to reach at risk youth in afterschool and summer settings. Learn how you can incorporate no cost and low cost technology tools to not only teach technology skills, but culture and geography as well.

Entrepreneurship Education: Learning by Doing


Kathleen Brown, University of Illinois

Entrepreneurship programs are among the few academic activities that engage students in teamwork and allow students to clearly understand that success requires a focus on outcomes, not on putting in class time. Time and time again, teachers of these courses comment that all kinds of students, chronic low achievers as well as strong students excel in these programs. The session will offer a brief over of the research literature that informs logic models and outcomes for Youth Entrepreneurship Programs.

Food, Fun, and Fitness After-School 4-H


Jenny Larsen, Jackie Cervantes-Guzman, Jana Schwartz, and Cathy Johnston, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

This after-school program encourages minority youth to develop healthy lifestyles by studying nutrition and physical activity. Evaluations showed increased physical activity, greater awareness of food choices, and shared knowledge with families. Learn how building community partnerships can help you design, implement, and sustain high-quality nutrition and fitness programs.

National Partnership for After-School Science: Building Partnerships to Sustain After-School Science Programs in Ethnically Diverse Rural and Urban Communities


Katie Clarke and Becky Meyer, University of Minnesota
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty and Heather Olmsted, University of California
Julia Steed Mawson, University of New Hampshire

This exhibit presents the highlights and challenges of developing and sustaining after-school science programs in ethnically diverse rural and urban communities. We will share real-world examples, work samples, and training techniques on the history of national Partnership for After School Science (NPASS) initiative, strategies for developing and sustaining collaborative relationships and information on the roles and expectations of community partners.

Community Improvement Through Youth: The CITY Project


June P. Mead, Cornell University
Kay Telfer and Vicki Giarratano, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Broome County
Jackie Davis-Manigaulte and Jamila Simon, Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York City

This exhibit featured New York's new CYFAR project, Community Improvement Through Youth. The CITY Project employs one of Cornell Cooperative Extension's Signature Programs, Youth Community Action (YCA) and a National 4-H curriculum, Public Adventures. YCA is used to promote civic engagement, workforce preparation, and asset development among teens while helping them meet the challenges of growing up in poverty.

Georgia SOMK Ambassadors: An Unconventional, Revolutionary Approach


Casey D. Mull and Mandy B. Marable, University of Georgia

Speak Out for Military Kids is a component of the Operation: Military Kids program. Georgia’s State OMK Team utilizes unique communication outlets to reach military and non-military youth by utilizing technology to meet teens where they are. Technology includes a WebCT class, Facebook, MySpace and chatting as a means of keeping connected while maintaining a safe atmosphere.

Involving Teens In Service Learning Projects for Limited Resource Families


Laura Bovitz, County 4-H Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, NJ

Involvement in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a service learning project helps teens develop valuable life skills and experience a sense of satisfaction of reaching people in need in their community. Opportunities for service learning are critical to the overall development of youth. In service-learning programs, the learning is as important as the service, with both the youth and the community deriving benefits.

Sexually Exploited Minors Youth Peer Project: Leadership, Awareness, Prevention


Charles G. Go, Ph.D., University of California Cooperative Extension, Alameda County

Sexual exploitation of minors is occurring in the US. 4-H, with its history of teen leadership, can play an important role in working with teens to raise awareness around this issue, and helping in creating prevention and intervention programs. Our presentation will share information about the Alameda County program, our work with the community and with the teens.

Fish Consumption Education for At-Risk Populations: Eating Fish Safely While Minimizing Health Risks


Robin Goettel and Terri Hallesy, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program
Leslie Dorworth, Purdue University-Calumet, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program
Jacqueline Wilson, University of Illinois Extension, Cook County Chicago-South
Diana Dummitt, University of Illinois College of Medicine
Linda Cook, Purdue University, 4-H

Fish contaminants are a serious concern for subsistence anglers, pregnant/nursing mothers and young children. Information about safe fish consumption is not readily available to at-risk populations--frequent consumers of fish. We will highlight a U.S.EPA-funded project for teachers and students in grades 6-12 that teaches where contaminants come from; why people should care; how fish are beneficial; and how to avoid potential health risks. We will share tools used to deliver this health-related information through school programs and public events to Hispanic, African American, and Asian clientele.

Advancing Science through Community Collaboration


Carrie Titus, University of Illinois Extension, Henry-Stark Unit
Diane Baker, University of Illinois Extension, Rock Island Unit

Are you interested in building community collaborations that are out of this world? This display will expose participants to hands-on science experiences offered during out of school time that strongly integrate community members and professionals. Gain curriculum sources and program delivery concepts that can be implemented in your area.

Community Coalitions 101


Dianne Swanson, MS, Extension Educator, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Tara Kuipers, MS, Director, Gage County NE MAPS Coalition

This showcase will provide attendees with introductory information on community coalitions, the value and function they play in communities to serve at-risk populations, and guidance and sample materials on the steps to creating an effective, functional coalition. This workshop is intended for audiences who are unfamiliar with a community coalition model or are working with a newly-forming coalition in their own communities.

Community Youth Mapping: Evaluating Community Youth Development


Charlotte Cross and Michelle Gagne, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension

Community Youth Mapping (CYM) involves engaging youth and adults in collecting information about places to go, things to do and special opportunities in the community. Young people are key in planning, data collection and entry, analysis and dissemination of information. Adults provide technical and political support. This showcase covers an overview of this asset mapping process and resulting evaluation methods.

Wikis, Blogs, and Web Pages … Oh My!


Celeste Carmichael, Cornell University, State 4-H Youth Development

Some “high tech” options have become easy enough for anyone to use—and to create. Although some may be hesitant to work with this technology, our kids and our audiences are not. The New York State 4-H Office took a leap of faith several years ago and agreed to maintain its own web site, using wikis to work on collaborative writing projects and blog newsletters. As a result, more staff have become more fluent in the technology that our 4-H’ers are using. Stop by to see examples of tools that have helped us model good communication strategies.